Caleb Japanangka Patrick

Living in the remote Indigenous community of Lajamanu, Caleb was born the same year the initial Tracks artists began their work in that community, and ever since his early years Tracks has remained a constant dance presence for him.

Caleb has emerged as a young leader in Lajamanu, and has been employed as a key artist,  dancer, and leader in all of the Milpirri Festivals. Caleb is also working towards developing his choreographic skills. Having been recognized by Tracks staff as an outstanding young performer, he was selected to be part of the Youth Dance Leaders program in 2006 and travelled to Horsham for the Youth Dance Festival. He has danced in Mr Big, Struck, Lipstick and Ochre, Endurance and The Cook the Queen and the Kelly.

Caleb was shortlisted as Young Territorian Of The Year, and toured to Melbourne to perform on the stage of the State Theatre at the Australian Dance Awards. In 2014, along with Kelly Beneforti, he was a joint recipient of an Australia Council for the Arts Early Career Residency.

As a young man with his own family, Caleb has sought to meet the challenges of living in a remote and poorly resourced community by actively becoming involved in Tracks, which has a history in Lajamanu reaching back to 1988.

"I have lived in Lajamanu all my life and have a lot of family here. I have worked with Tracks for many years and know Tim and David very well. With Tracks I have grown as a dancer. It has been good for me to gain more dance experience and develop my dancing in a supportive environment."

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Tracks works Caleb has been involved in:

2005 Milpirri (Jardiwanpa)
2006 Horsham - Australian Youth Dance Festival
2006 Mr Big
2006 Lajamanu Residency
2007 Milpirri (Kurdiji)
2008 Struck
2008 Lipstick and Ochre
2009 Endurance
2009 Milpirri (Jurntu)
2010 Australian Dance Awards – Melbourne
2010 The Cook, the Queen and the Kelly
2011 Young Territorian of the Year Finalist
2011 Milpirri Showing (Yinapaka)
2012 Milpirri (Pulyaranyi)
2013 Zombies in the Banyan Tree
2014 Australia Council For The Arts Early Career Residency recipient
2014 Double Exposure Choreographic Development Showing
2014 Milpirri (Jardiwanpa)
2016 Milpirri (Kurdiji)

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